Q: Can you tell me how old this Coca-Cola bottle is? It says “Terre Haute, Indiana, min contents 6 FL. Ozs.” There are lines up both sides and on bottom rim it says “Root” and there’s a number I can’t make out. The bottle is made of very thick green glass.

 

A: The lines on the sides of your bottle indicate it was made in a mold. Coca-Cola bottling companies made bottles for Coca-Cola and for flavored drinks made by other manufacturers. The block letters and absence of the script “Coca-Cola” logo indicate this bottle contained a flavored drink, not Coke. The numbers would help date it, but there are several other clues to the age of the bottle. The word “Root” refers to the Root Glass Company, which opened in Terre Haute, Indiana, in 1901. The company bottled drinks for local customers and began making bottles for the Coca-Cola Company about 1905. The Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Terre Haute was incorporated in 1908. Straight-sided glass bottles were made until about 1916, so your bottle was probably made between 1908 and 1916. Many bottles were produced at Terre Haute. Some collectors look for anything with “Coca-Cola” on it, while other only want bottles that actually contained Coca-Cola. Value depends on rarity.